Trauma resolution through feeling the body

Before I “worked” on my traumas, with methods that were actually helpful, I was very much stuck in my head. Looking for healing methods that were at its best a distraction and at its worst damaging. I realise that all the other methods I was using before were only working with my survival strategies; furthering the fragmentation within myself.

When I came across Somatic Experiencing (SE) I initially thought: “ How can this slow motion method help me at all? I will be here forever!” I was in a hurry to heal. I couldn’t waste anymore time with slow methods. Later I learnt that trauma resolution can’t be rushed and that it needs to be gentle.

I was so fragmented that in the beginning I struggled to feel my own body. Little did I know that through my bodily sensations I would find a sense of self, solidity and relief for many of the symptoms I was experiencing.

It seemed too simple to be true, but that’s why it’s experiential. It is simple, but very profound.
We can only truly know what it’s like by embarking on the journey ourselves.

In about 3.5 months of weekly sessions I was already seeing so many benefits. It was the missing piece for me. Later I came across IoPT - Intention method), it helped things land deeper for me, specially the attachment and the developmental trauma part.

But SE and other somatic approaches I later also studied, was and still is the basis of everything. We are not used to feeling bodily sensations. Society has taught us to figure everything out in our heads, furthering the disconnection with the body.

By giving sensations time and space to be acknowledged, felt and integrated we finally start to open up the space for aliveness, joy and true connection to ourselves and others.